The Inaugural Whitsundays Songwriter Festival in Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia
It began as a dream, leading to a vision then a conversation.
Our first year presenting the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival comprised a professional songwriter residency at Yangaro in Funnel Bay near Airlie Beach, inviting 6 professional songwriters from varying genres to participate. We were thrilled to welcome 14 time Golden Guitar Award winner Graeme Connors, Certified Platinum Artist and Queensland Music Award winner Tia Gostelow, Multi Million Streaming Country Artist Bryce Sainty, Unsigned Only winner Leanne Tennant (LT), Los Angeles Music Award winner Francesca de Valence and the voice in a billion devices formerly New York based now Whitsundays local Karen Jacobsen. Our one day Emerging Songwriter workshop was delivered by our partner I Heart Songwriting Club, and our professional songwriters were interviewed live on stage and performed new songs written in the residency at our Concert and Conversation Event at The Belvedere at Toscana in Airlie Beach. We thank our partners and supporters including the Whitsundays Arts Festival, Whitsunday Regional Council and Mackay Regional Council.
To learn more about our commitment to original creative work in regional areas and our mission to create a next generation of professional songwriters in the Whitsundays region visit https://www.whitsundaysartsfestival.org/songwriter-residency and join us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
We look forward to announcing @whitsongfest 2023.